


How the Mighty Fall ~ZoSan~

by nobodys_hero



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Boys Being Boys, M/M, One-Sided Relationship, dense sanji, selfless zoro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-18
Updated: 2016-03-18
Packaged: 2018-05-27 13:35:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6286711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nobodys_hero/pseuds/nobodys_hero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zoro is in love and Sanji is clueless. With 24 Bullets and a meddling she pirate will these two forces of nature be able to sort it out? Originally posted on Quotev.com</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

  Niko was the only survivor of the ship wreck she was involved in. Her Pirate ship, The Raven, where she was first mate got attacked by Marines and left for dead since no one on her ship had a bounty on their heads. It was by pure unadulterated luck that she was rescued by the Straw-Hat Pirates before she starved to death or fed herself to the circling Sea-Kings. That's how she came to sitting on the deck of the of the Thousand Sunny watching the most painful unrequited love-fest created. After losing her Captain and long time lover to the Marines watching this first mate of the Straw-Hats pine silently over the flamboyantly skirt happy cook pained her to no end. After talking to the incredibly strong swordsmen, or rather pulling the information forcefully from the stubborn swordsmen, she realized everyone except for the blonde knew about Zoro's silent pain. They all knew about his daily struggle with heartbreak but all begrudgingly agreed to follow his self sacrificing pleas to keep the cook oblivious and happy. Niko on the other hand did not agree to his stubborn selfless pleas in hope to set the ball rolling on their happiness or at the very least to get the cook to stop slowly killing the swordsmen from the inside out. 

        "Hello my precious Niko-swan! What brings you to my humble kitchen my beautiful flower?" Sanji swooned as Niko walked into the cook's sanctuary and sat on one of his counters. 

        "Just wanted to talk Sanji, calm yourself." Niko sighed. 

        "About what my precious gem?"

        "The fact that Zoro is in so much pain and it seems as that you are the only one to either not notice or not care." She spoke bluntly as possibly making the cook stop cleaning his kitchen. 

        "Did that damn Marimo hurt himself again? Stupid Sea-Weed brain...anyways my dear when that barbarian hurts himself that is Chopper's department not mine." Sanji spoke as he began to clean again.

        "SO your oblivious then, I guess that is better than not caring. I didn't mean his physical pain I meant emotional pain." With that Sanji again stopped and looked at her. This time with a curious expression confirming that he was just oblivious. Thankfully it wasn't that he didn't care he just didn't realize. "Well your the last to know Zoro is in a one sided and very painful love. The poor bastard is doing everything in his power to make them happy but he is one of those that falls hard and falls in the forever kind. Hell he tries to drink himself numb and trains the feelings away. He said to me he hasn't been in love since a girl who died from his childhood but this time is so much stronger but feels that because of who he is and who he loves the universe is trying to tell him he needs to be alone forever so he has resigned himself to that." Sanji looked completely shocked. 

        "Zoro is in love? I didn't know that Neanderthal knew what romance let alone love was. Hell I didn't know he had serious emotions outside of blood-lust." 

        "And you call yourself his nakama. Do you really know him at all?" Sanji looked completely taken aback. 

        "Of course I do. He is loud, rude, honest, strong, blunt, loyal, self sacrificing, gentle with children, protective, patient especially with Luffy, directionally challenged, funny when you get him going, irritating, fearless, smart, has the instincts of a true warrior, manly as all hell, kind, trust worthy, brave, a true demonic fighter, and a wonderful nakama not that I ever said any of that. In total he is a stubborn Marimo with a drinking problem as in the problem is he never gets drunk." Sanji defended passionately. 

        "He is also lonely, heartbroken, self loathing, and stubbornly in love with someone who I don't think deserves him with the way they treat him. I noticed things you didn't in a few days that you had years to. Think about it Sanji." Niko got off her perch and walked to the galley door. "That and Nami said don't bother with lunch we will be hitting land by mid day." With that she left Sanji to his thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

Sanji who had left the kitchen to smoke looked over at Zoro with interest and concern. Sanji had thought that he had known how to read the stoic swordsmen since the time at Thriller Park. Though since their two years apart he must have gotten rusty. If the swordsman really was trying so hard and was in love that had to mean the person had to be one of their crew mates. But since a serious conversation one drunken evening where the first mate explained he was pansexual, someone who was not attracted to a specific gender but to personalities. Zoro could be in love with anyone on the ship except for Chopper, whom Zoro treated as either a son or a little brother, Niko who was new, or himself , whom the Zoro hated. Thinking about Zoro hating him gave Sanji a horrible feeling in his chest that he equaled to any negative thoughts about Zoro.  
          
        "Did you know." Niko's voice startling Sanji out of the trance he was in watching Zoro train. "Luffy has tried using Captain's orders to get him to confess. Nami has raised his debt to try and get him too. Franky promised a dojo for him to train in but he just won't do it."

        "Who is the moss head in love with?" Sanji asked subconsciously not wanting to actually hear the answer.

        "Ask him yourself, we will be docking in an hour." Niko said with a smirk as she walked away. 

        "Hey Marimo." Sanji screamed out feeling like there was no moment like the present. When Zoro looked up from his training Sanji motioned him to the kitchen. Without looking back Sanji walked into his domain expecting the green haired man to follow him, which he did. Sanji turned to meet the sweat glistening bare tanned skin sporting scars that would kill lesser men, grassy wind swept hair, and deep penetrating brown eyes. All man  no doubt about it. 

        "What do you want ero-cook?" Zoro spoke in his deep soothing voice. 

        "I just have a quick question for you, well maybe two." Zoro though looking apprehensive nodded for the cook to continue. "First and please be honest. Do you hate me Zoro?" This question had gnawed on the back of Sanji's mind for years.  Zoro beginning to laugh confused Sanji even more.

        "Of course I don't hate you cook. If I did I would not trust you to fight beside me or help protect our nakama or would I really bother to protect you. My chivalrous streak isn't that wide." Zoro knew Sanji wasn't looking for an explanation but deep down he knew the cook needed it. Which he did and for it Sanji smiled and nodded, a real smile.

        "I don't hate you either Marimo even with that rude ugly mug of yours." 

        "Second question cook." Zoro chucked rolling his eyes.

        "Is it true that you are in love with someone on this ship?" This question shook Zoro physically as he slowly nodded. "Who is it?"

        "You only asked for two questions cook. either way I won't answer that one any time soon if ever." Zoro spoke forcefully before quickly leaving Sanji standing confused in the galley all alone. 


	3. Chapter 3

  As soon as they docked the swordsmen was gone. Sanji's lovely Nami-swan charged him with finding the swordsmen and giving the green haired man his money that he left on the ship in his rush to get away from answering Sanji's question. Of course Sanji found him right where he thought he would, the island bar. There Zoro sat brooding in the back corner of the bar counter even though he was surrounded by so many happy couples of every orientation and so many attractive people trying to hook up with everyone, this must be a very open and accepting island Sanji thought to himself. Something in the way Zoro was drinking with such a rejected air around him made Sanji want to console him in a way a friend shouldn't, whoever was hurting him in such a way didn't deserve such a wonderful guy as Zoro and wasn't nakama to Sanji. They might fight and argue but Zoro was Sanji's best friend, not that he would ever openly admit that, it was always just so much  fun sparring with Zoro with wits and weapons because Zoro could handle whatever Sanji could throw at him and so much more. Seeing Zoro like this wasn't right and he should have seen it earlier. As invisibly as he could Sanji moved to an area of the bar where Zoro wouldn't see or hear him. He had been here at least an hour before Sanji found him hopefully he had talked to someone. 

        "What is wrong with the grass head? Do you know?" Sanji pointed over to Zoro who looked like he finally let some of his stoic facade fall and let his pain, that was truly breaking Sanji's heart, show on his and in his posture as he sat drinking alone. 

        "If you are interested in him hun be careful and do him a favor and dye your hair. Apparently he is already in love with a pretty little blonde from his ship. The poor bastard isn't a one night stander  either a rare lover lover with pure virtuous and faithful nature even though the guy he loves is some skirt hungry cook. The insensitive  bastard found out he was in love with someone and tried to get him to tell him. He came so close to losing that safe distance between loving someone from afar and saving his heart and getting slapped in the face with rejection and not only losing his love but apparently his best friend as well. In my opinion someone needs to set that poor gorgeous man free and get him to forget the blonde if not set him to stop loving him so painfully. Love isn't suppose to hurt but this poor guy is dying inside." The bartender walked away as if mourning Zoro's pain as his own. unbeknownst to Sanji Zoro had noticed him in the bar as Sanji was talking to the bartender and had walked over to see what the cook wanted since he clearly wasn't in this kind of bar for himself. The bartender had probably thought teh cook was a stranger who had been interested in hooking up with the green haired swordsmen, unfortunately for Zoro the bartender, as sweet as he had been, tried to help him out by hooking him up with the same man who was damn near ripping the heart from his chest. This is why Zoro doesn't fall in love, love is nothing but pain and suffering.

        "You shouldn't have followed me here Sanji." Zoro growled catching the shocked cook out of his trance. Sanji's heart sped up in his chest as he watched Zoro shake his head sadly then turn and leave the bar. After getting his bearings back Sanji took off out of the bar and after Zoro to try and figure all of this out. They had to talk. Zoro couldn't love him. Sanji couldn't be the one hurting his Marimo like that. 

        "Zoro wait." Sanji called after the green haired man, his heart beating rapidly in his chest, this moment being some subconscious dream that he had been looking for for years. Once Sanji caught sight of the green haired man he was faced with a new determination. Zoro ignored him and continued to walk away from civilization and towards the isolated cliff faces they had seen from the water. "Zoro please wait." Sanji cried out causing Zoro to stop and sigh, turning around to finally face Sanji as the blonde ran up to him. 

        "Look Sanji you don't have to say anything. I already know you are straight. I am not going to do anything but I also am not going to say I'm going to stop or that I can stop my feelings for you and I will not apologize. I know you are not fond of homosexual relationships but I promise never to do anything ever. You don't have to yell or let me down. I am a big boy and I resigned myself to this many years ago since I figured out everything." Zoro spoke blankly and calmly with total disheartening resign, he had given up, in his behavior and destroying heart break in his eyes. "Now please forget about this and let me continue to drink myself numb." A tear fell from Zoro's open eye as he shook his head walking away from the once again shocked chef. 


	4. Chapter 4

    A week after leaving the island and Niko along with it the crew stood around in worry about their first mate, Zoro had effectively locked himself up in the crow's nest doing nothing but training. He refused to come down. Every now and and than Chopper would take a meal and a ton of liquids up to Zoro but he would sad they just sat there completely untouched, and as much as wasting food pissed Sanji off he was more worried than angry. The worst part was Zoro actually ignoring Chopper, his token charge, while he was up there. Sanji, the most worried of all of them, had no idea how to fix any of this. 

        "You know don't you Sanji?" The Captain's serious voice made the coo jump and turn to face the rest of his very concerned nakama. "You know Zoro is in love with you." Luffy never used that voice on anyone unless they had hurt one of his nakama, which in a way Sanji had.

        "Yes I do. I didn't know any of it. I tired to tell but he wouldn't listen. I tried so hard to tell but he ran away before I could tell him that I ret...."

        "You weren't supposed to know." Nami cut in. "Every time someone figured it out Zoro about begged them not to let you know or do anything that would upset you or push you towards him. He didn't even want you to know Luffy and I are together and have been for years or that Robin is with Franky. Hell Ussop us with Kaya. Zoro didn't want to hurt you by letting you know the women you fawn over have never been yours."

        "Why would he do that?" Sanji mumbled. Shock and pain filled him. Sanji knew that he had a vast attraction and a rush on the swordsmen for years, since he met him, but didn't know ow much the swordsmen was doing for him. His own pain and the pain he felt for Zoro about swallowing him whole.

        "Because he loves you. He would die for your happiness. He gives you the power to destroy him." Robin spoke up her voice stern but soft. "Mr. Swordsmen is someone who just wants you to be happy. Anyone would be lucky to have our first mate. Think about how you really feel about him Mr. Chef and don't hurt him. We are not sure he would come back from that." With that Robin ushered everyone from the kitchen so Sanji could think. He knew Zoro meant a lot to him. Sanji knew he felt something strong towards Zoro but never knew if it had the right to be called love. Zoro proved that love was all encompassing though they thought of love to completely different ways.  Zoro thought of it as all pain and Sanji thought of it as all pleasure where it was most likely somewhere in between. Full of new determination to at least get Zoro to fully explain himself. Walking with purpose towards the crow's nest Sanji ignored the looks of his cre mates for he wasn't letting anyone stop him or stand in his way. Kicking open the locked door Sanji came face to face with something that made his heart about stop. Somehow with all his muscle Zoro had lost weight, he was obviously not eating and not taking care of himself. All he was doing for this entire week was training until he collapsed than got up and repeated.     

        "Why Zoro why?" Sanji whimpered not understanding why this beautiful man was purposely doing this to himself. Zoro stopped unnaturally hearing Sanji's voice. 

        "You can't help who you fall in love with Sanji." Zoro forced out.


	5. Chapter 5

        "I don't care that you love me Zoro!" Sanji screamed. "Just because at this moment I don't know if I return your feelings doesn't mean you can damn near kill yourself!" Zoro looked at the cook in shock. "I don't know exactly what I feel at least not enough to put it into words yet. But here you are ignoring everyone and everything and not listening to me or anyone else. Everyone says your a passionate and strong lover who will do anything for at least me but here you are hiding. You should know me better than that Zoro. If you want any chance with me I want you to fight for me, romance me, woo me, express yourself for once you stupid stoic marimo." Sanji was shacking as Zoro dropped his weights and stepped to him cautiously. 

        "You are right I am stupid. I have been trying not to force my feelings on you. I mean you are a notorious skirt chaser." 

        "I'm not straight Zoro, just ashamed. I am actually bisexual. The old man never cared  but the other chefs used to tease me mercilessly. I tried to be just as manly as the others even though I am attracted to men. Strong, tanned, muscular men who are bigger than me are my type and that just isn't manly at all." Sanji confessed not looking up at Zoro. He had just confessed being sexually attracted to Zoro and his sheer force.

        "So I am the definition of your type?" Sanji could hear the smirk in Zoro's voice. 

        "I don't remember saying seaweed is my type." Sanji said trying to back away from the solid wall of firm muscular torso. "Now come down and let Chopper check you out. Then when you are through with that come and get some food. For now you don't get anything besides some food and some kicks to the face."

        "I love you Cook." Zoro spoke softly into Sanji's ear. 

        "You can say it all you want now prove it Marimo." Sanji said smiling as he walked out and back to his galley. Not to long after Zoro came strolling in like he owned the place. His new sense of hope that he would never previously let himself feel was contagious.  Zoro sat down at the table clean from his shower and still happily shirtless. "Hello seaweed." 

        "I saw Chopper and even went and washed up." Zoro stood back up and walked over to Sanji pushing him against his own counter. Putting his hands around the slender Cook's waist and resting them on the small on Sanji's back. "Do you have something for me cook." 

        "I made you some traditional rice balls. They are on the table." 

        "That's it? Just rice balls?" Zoro smirked, he had missed teasing the Cook.

        "Well for now yes you greedy bastard  since you haven't eaten anything in over a week. I will let you eat more later if you can hold this down properly without getting sick. 

        "Sanji before I eat may I ask something of you?" Zoro asked shyly.

        "What is it Zoro?" Sanji asked suddenly unsure.

        "May I kiss you? It is alright if you say no. I will not ever force you into anything like that." Sanji stood there amazed as he watched the proud swordsmen blush. Sanji snapped out of his trance pushing his lips against those surprisingly soft lips belonging to the swordsmen himself. Sanji nor Zoro had ever felt something so incredibly right before. Each of them being rough and demanding with the other in the perfect amount. Screw fireworks this was more like gum-gum Gatling mixed with gum-gum bell. Sanji loved these kisses like Luffy loved meat. This was a new way of fighting with Zoro where he would gladly hand over the dominate advantage over to Zoro. Shouting from the deck was what made the two pirates rejoin the land of the living. Rushing to the deck they were greeted by a small group of strangers standing with guns pointed at their nakama. 

        "Do I want to know or should I just throw them over board?" Zoro groaned walking up to their Captain. 

        "Well we rescued them and now they are trying to steal our ship." Luffy said in a puzzled tone.

        "They are new pirates who don't know who we are." Nami sighed. "A small group with no bounty not even recognized pirates." 

        "Shut up you bitch!" The other captain shouted drawing his gun and aiming it at Nami. Sanji bolted to shield her with his own body, by the time his arms were wrapped around her the trigger was pulled, bracing for the pain of multiple bullets ripping through his body from the other crew that never came, 24 rounds went off but none connecting. Each new round he just pulled the shaking Nami closer. 

        "How dare you shoot at them." Zoro growled. 

        "No one hurts my NAKAMA!" Luffy screamed. Suddenly there was screaming and splashing. Silence. Sanji looked up finally and about dropped Nami. Before him stood a bullet riddled swordsmen. Zoro protected both him and Nami from the bullets. 

        "Zoro?" Sanji choked out. 

        "Are you two alright?" Zoro spoke gruffly, spitting out some blood. Nami nodded and waddled over to her Captain and lover. "Sanji are you alright?" Zoro spoke softer, kneeling down to the cook who was frozen in shock.

        "How many bullets did you take?" Sanji muttered.

        "It doesn't matter." Zoro spoke with a soft smile. That smile released a million butterflies in Sanji's chest, he finally understood. 

        "Go get fixed up then go get some rest, I will bring your food to you." Sanji spoke up. "Get some rest in MY room." Zoro looked confused. "I understand now. I love you too now go before you bleed to death." Sanji quickly kissed Zoro then got up and quickly moved back to the galley. It took a melding pirate  and 24 bullets to the torso but that is how the mighty fall in love. 


End file.
